Sunday, August 21, 2011 (5:05 p.m.) – Huntington Park
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (55-72, 5th(-17.0), North)
RHP Dylan Owen (5-6, 4.69)

Columbus Clippers (80-49, 1st(+13.0), West)
RHP Corey Kluber (7-8, 5.61)

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Buffalo Bisons face the Columbus Clippers in the second game of a four-game set at Huntington Park (5:05 p.m.). Buffalo won 15-3 last night to begin their eight-game roadtrip. The Herd has now won four of its last five games and seven of 10 dating back to August 11.

VS. THE CLIPPERS: Last night, the Bisons collected their first win over the Clippers in 2011. Columbus swept a four-game set back in Buffalo, June 11. The road team has won all five games in this season series. Last year, the home team won six of the eight games between the Bisons and Clippers.

DEALIN’ DYLAN: RHP DYLAN OWEN starts for the 18th time for the Bisons the year. The righty is winless in three starts but is coming off one of his strongest outings of the season. Owen allowed just one run in 6.2 innings on August 16 against Toledo in a game eventually won by the Bisons, 3-2. Owen is third on the Bisons staff with 78 strikeouts.

HITTIN’ HERD: The Bisons pounded out a season-high seven doubles and nine extra-base hits in last night’s victory. The Herd’s seven-run ninth inning was also the most prolific frame for the team since the plate nine runs against the Clippers in an 11-4 win on August 8, 2010. Buffalo’s 15 runs fell one run short of the team’s season high of 16, on June 19 at Norfolk

SMOOTH AS: INF JOSH SATIN brings an eight-game hit streak into tonight’s action. Since August 13, the Triple-A rookie has hit .414 (12-29) with two RBI and four runs scored. Satin already has a 14-game hit streak in his short time with the Bisons and has hit in 25 of his 28 with the team.

MR. VP: INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI is back on top of the International League. His 87RBI are two more than any other hitter in the league. The last Bisons player to lead the league in RBI was OF Nigel Wilson, who drove home 95 to lead the American Association in 1996. The last Bisons player to lead the IL in RBI was Frank “Pancho” Herrera with 108RBI in 1962.

BISONS BITS: Six different Bisons drove in runs last night…OF RAUL REYES picked up his first two Triple-A hits last night (both doubles). He had 20 doubles and 36RBI with Double-A Binghamton to begin the season…RHP BRIAN SWEENEY has thrown eight shutout innings of relief against Columbus.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (60-65) lost to the Brewers, 11-9, yesterday at Citi Field. Former Bisons OF ANGEL PAGAN had three hits, including his seventh home run of the season. INF RUBEN TEJADA doubled twice for New York. The Mets host the Brewers at 1:10 p.m.

The Bisons youth came through in a big way on Saturday night as Jordany Valdespin smashed a three run home run and Raul Reyes hit two doubles driving in two runs and scoring one.

With the contributions from the Bisons young sluggers the Herd made a sixth inning comeback piling on the runs to beat the Clippers 15-3 in a landslide victory at Huntington Park on Saturday.

Down by two runs and with two outs in the sixth inning the Bisons made their stand mounting five run rally started by a solo-home run by Luis Hernandez and finished by a three run home run by Valdespin.

Reyes’ two runs were the first he has driven in while wearing a Bisons uniform, and Valdespins home run was his first in triple-A. Reyes had 50 RBI with double-A Binghamton Mets, and Valdespin had 15 home runs for Binghamton before being called up to the Bisons.

Luis Hernandez provided the pop for the triple-A veterans of the line-up driving out a solo home run of his own and getting an RBI in the seventh inning extending the Bisons lead. Zach Lutz and Josh Satin got in on the action in the ninth inning to add three more runs to the Bisons lead.

Valentino Pascucci drove in Satin and Lutz to bring his RBI total to 87 RBI with a two run single in the ninth inning picking up right where he left off last night in Buffalo.

The win gives the Herd a two game win streak and a record of 6-3 when playing the Clippers at Huntington Park in Columbus. The last time the Bisons played Columbus it was at Coca-Cola Field where the Bisons lost four straight.

The Herd started off the road trip 1-0 against the Clippers who are 80-46 with a 14 game lead in the International League West divison.

Game Notes: Jordany Valdespin hit his first home run in a Bisons uniform, he had 15 with double-A Binghamton Mets…Raul Reyes had two doubles knocking in his first two RBI in a Bisons Jersey, he drove in 50 RBI with double-A Binghamton…Josh Satin walked twice and singled in the ninth inning and driving in a run extending his hit streak to eight games.

Saturday, August 20, 2011 (7:05 p.m.) – Huntington Park
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (54-72, 5th(-18.0), North)
LHP Mark Cohoon (3-8, 6.17)

Columbus Clippers (80-46, 1st(+14.0), West)
RHP Joe Martinez (8-6, 4.01)

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Buffalo Bisons face the Columbus Clippers in the first game of a four-game set at Huntington Park (7:05 p.m.). Tonight’s game begins an eight-game roadtrip for the Herd, who will also travel to Toledo to face the Mud Hens. The Bisons are coming off a 6-4 homestand that ending with a 3-1 series win over Toledo.

VS. THE CLIPPERS: It’s been more than two months since the Bisons faced the Clippers. Columbus swept Buffalo in a four-game set, June 11-14, back at Coca-Cola Field. Prior to those four losses, the Herd had won five straight over the Clippers. Buffalo is 5-3 at Huntington Park since the Clippers opened their new stadium for the 2009 season.

ON THE HILL: LHP MARK COHOON will make his 15th start with the Bisons today. The southpaw is winless in his last five outings, but has allowed three runs or less in four of those starts. In the first game of a doubleheader on August 15 against Durham, Cohoon allowed just two runs in 6.1 innings of work but fell in a 2-1 Bisons defeat.

RALLY HERD: The Bisons earned their seventh walk-off win last night thanks to a two-run home run from INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI in the 11th inning. It was the Bisons first win this year after trailing after eight innings (previously 0-57). Five of the six wins by the Bisons on the homestand came in games the team trailed in the sixth inning or later. Despite being 18 games under the .500 mark, Buffalo is 33-32 in games decided by two runs or less.

SMOOTH AS: INF JOSH SATIN has hit in seven straight games with a .440 (11-25) average over the last week. The Triple-A rookie has hit in 24 of his 27 games since joining the Bisons on July 22. You have to go all the way back to May 29-30 while with Double-A Binghamton for the last time Satin went hitless in back-to-back games. 

BISONS BITS: INF ZACH LUTZ hit .353 (12-34) with four home runs and seven RBI during the Bisons 10-game homestand…INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI is tied for 1st in the IL with 85RBI. It’s the most a Bison has had since OF Jason Dubois knocked in 87 during the 2006 season.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (60-64) were defeated by the Brewers yesterday by a 6-1 score. Former Bisons OF ANGEL PAGAN had three of New York’s seven hits, including two doubles. INF RUBEN TEJADA also had two hits and now has a .268 average with the Mets. New York hosts the Brewers this afternoon at 4:10 p.m.

Friday, August 19, 2011 (7:35 p.m.) – Coca-Cola Field
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, WGR Sportsradio 550, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (53-72, 5th(-18.0), North)
RHP Chris Schwinden (7-6, 3.76)

Toledo Mud Hens (60-67, 4th(-20.0), West)
LHP Fu-Te Ni (5-2, 3.35)

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Buffalo Bisons host the Toledo Mud Hens in the final game of a four-game set at Coca-Cola Field (7:35 p.m.). After opening the series with two straight wins against the Hens, the Herd lost last night and is now 5-4 on its current 10-game homestand. Tomorrow, the Bisons begin an eight-game trip to Ohio to face Columbus and Toledo.

VS. THE HENS: The Bisons are now 2-1 against Toledo. Buffalo has lost a home series against the Mud Hens just once since returning to the IL in 1998 (2003). Overall, the Herd is 30-25 against the Hens in Buffalo. The teams will play the Fifth Third Field portion of their season series, August 24-27.

SCHWING AND MISS: RHP CHRIS SCHWINDEN will make his team-high 23rd start of the season tonight. The righty leads the team with a 3.76ERA and 113 strikeouts. His strikeout total is tied with RHP Kyle Denney (2004) for the fifth most strikeouts in a single season in the Bisons modern era. Next on this list is RHP Randy Kramer, who fanned 120 in 1988.

TEUFEL SCUFFLE: Son, LHP SHAWN TUEFEL, got the better of father and Bisons manager TIM TEUFEL in last night’s 4-0 Toledo win. Shawn struck out a career-high seven batters in six scoreless innings. It was the first time father-son competed in the same game since August 21, 2001 when Ottawa’s Tim Raines and Rochester’s Tim Raines Jr. split a doubleheader in Ottawa.

SMOOTH AS: INF JOSH SATIN brings a six-game hit streak into tonight’s game. The Triple-A rookie has 10 hits in his last 21 at-bats (.476) and now has his average up to .350 in his first 26 games with Buffalo. Satin has already fashioned a 14-game hit streak in his limited time in Buffalo, posting a .400 average (22-55) from July 24 – August 8.

RUN STOPPER: C RAUL CHAVEZ has thrown out 29 of 57 would-be base stealers this year. His success rate of 50.9% is 12% greater than any other catcher in the league. The last International League catcher to finish the season with a better than 50% success rate was Louisville’s Corky Miller, who threw out 22 of 40 attempts in 2001.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (60-63) were off yesterday to get ready for a three-game home set against the Milwaukee Brewers. RHP MIKE PELFREY will get the start for the Mets looking to improve on his 6-9 record for the year. He will face the Brew Crew’s LHP Shaun Marcum. First pitch is 7:10 p.m. at Citi Field.

Luis Figueroa led the charge Wednesday afternoon with three extra base hits accounting for three of the Bisons four runs. Figueroa hit a triple to left field, a double to right field and another double to left center field.

Behind Figueroa’s 3-4 day and Miguel Batista’s solid eight inning start the Bisons beat Toledo 4-2 for the second time in two days at Coca-Cola Field.

Figueroa jumped out of the gate slamming a triple off the left-field wall in the first inning just missing a home run. Valentino Pascucci singled into right field to score Figueroa, it was Pascucci’s 83 RBI of the season.

“Figueroa had a nice day, started off with a triple, he amped up his game today and the one pop out was a hit and run play that he gave an effort to try and get on top of a high fastball,” manager Tim Teufel said.

Figueroa followed his triple with a double into right field in the second inning scoring Jesus Feliciano from second base. Figueroa led off the fifth inning with a ground rule double and scored after Zach Lutz followed Figueroa double of his own.

Figueroa was has had three hits in a game ten times this season, and it’s the first time in a game this season that Figueroa has doubled and tripled in a game.

Miguel Batista made sure that the four runs would stand up working eight innings, giving up four hits, one earned run and striking out six Mud Hen’s.

“I was trying to take advantage of the fact that they will swing, they’re the type of team that’s an offensive machine, and if you get behind I the count they will walk but if you don’t they will swing, we tried to take advantage of that, make them swing the bat make them put it in play,” Batista said. “Our whole game plan was going for soft contact.”

Batista continued to dominate right handed batters allowing only one hit in 14 at-bats against righties. Right handed batters are hitting a measly .150 (12-80) against Batista. Four of his six strikeout’s Wednesday came against righties.

“He’s got a lot of ball movement away from right-handed hitters but that front door cutter is a tough one to hit, he starts it in and gets it on that outside corner, his game is getting polished up right now,” Teufel said.

Dale Thayer closed out the game for the Bisons second win in a row and his 17th save in the 2011 season.

Game Notes Luis Figueroa doubled twice and tripled once, the first time he has doubled and tripled in a game this season…Miguel Batista worked a season high eight innings earning his second win of the season…Batista continues to dominate right hand batters holding them to a .150 (12-80) batting average…The Herd moved to 5-3 during their current home stand with the win Wednesday.